Afghanistan probes election commissions after firings

Published
12:45 am EST, Wednesday, February 13, 2019

FILE - In this July 15, 2018, file photo, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaks during a press conference at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Afghan government has fired its election commission, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019. The move by Ghani’s administration comes more than three months after chaotic parliamentary elections -- the results of which have still not been announced -- and ahead of July’s controversial presidential vote. less

FILE - In this July 15, 2018, file photo, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaks during a press conference at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Afghan government has fired its election ... more

Photo: Rahmat Gul, AP

Photo: Rahmat Gul, AP

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FILE - In this July 15, 2018, file photo, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaks during a press conference at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Afghan government has fired its election commission, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019. The move by Ghani’s administration comes more than three months after chaotic parliamentary elections -- the results of which have still not been announced -- and ahead of July’s controversial presidential vote. less

FILE - In this July 15, 2018, file photo, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaks during a press conference at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Afghan government has fired its election ... more

Photo: Rahmat Gul, AP

Afghanistan probes election commissions after firings

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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan's attorney general has launched an investigation into allegations that the Independent Election Commission and a separate complaints commission misused their authority during last year's parliamentary elections.

The October elections were marred by chaos, and the full results have yet to be announced. The government announced the investigation on Wednesday, a day after it fired the 12 members of both commissions and barred them from leaving the country.

President Ashraf Ghani has given politicians and civil society members one week to nominate new election commission members.

Afghanistan is set to hold a presidential election in July, but the Taliban have supported an interim arrangement in their talks with U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad. The government, which has been largely sidelined in the talks, rejects that idea.